Nia Long, Sanaa Lathan, and Gabrielle Union cover the newest issue of Essence Magazine. The actresses spoke candidly about gossip blogs and I give a response. Check for that after the cut.
Essence: How do you deal with the 24-hours-a-day gossip that comes out on the Internet?
Gabrielle: Just last week somebody gave me a baby. This isn’t Perez Hilton or the White gossip people, these are women of color, specifically Black women who, for whatever reason, don’t like the company I keep.Sanaa: She’s talking about the gossip sites.
Essence: The blogs.
Sanaa: That are run by Black women.
Gabrielle: And now because everyone is clamoring for celebrity tidbits, the bigger gossip sites and even mainstream entities are picking up on it. No fact-checking, no nothing. And in one week’s time, there were like five different dudes, a baby—I’m a homewrecker. In literally seven days. I can’t point the finger at the White media. They don’t care about us. Paparazzi are not staked out in front of any of our houses. They are not going through our garbage because they don’t care about us in that way. So when you hear crap about us, it is coming from our own community, which hurts.
Nia: We are some of the few Black actresses whose passions are rooted in our community.
Gabrielle: There is this idea that there is integrity in journalism; if it’s written it has to be true. But that’s not the case. When blogs or any of the magazines get it wrong, there’s no accountability. In the next breath, they’ll complain on the blogs that we don’t have enough Black stars. Well, you rip us to shreds every two seconds from our nose to the weave to the clothes to the shoes to the ashy ankles. [ SOURCE ]
I would have to disagree with what Gabrielle Union said about bigger sites coming to our blogs and getting info. Actually all the gossip we have ever posted about her was from Page Six or some other “popular” gossip site. From the Darren Sharper slow dance to the Derek Jeter rumor, all were Page Six. And to be blunt, I don’t pull rumors out my ass just for the sake of it. I always try to have a source.
As a young black woman heading a popular black blog, I take offense to what she said. We try hard to make it clear what is a rumor and what is fact. We also try to show everyone in a positive light. We cannot control what is said in the comments, only moderate them. Don’t generalize all the black blogs as if we all are out to attack. She name dropped Perez Hilton, but couldn’t name drop what black blog she was specifically talking about? How convenient.
It’s whatever! I really do like that cover though.
I just love their pretty brown skin…
damn i love these black women!
#358 – Ms_Mac
Sister, you broke that all the way down.
Excellent points.
@ 358 MS_MAC
Well said! I was going to post something put damn, you summed up this entire situation quite nicely. LOL!
My bad, that’s BUT not put.
I help run a website targeted toward underepresented minorities in the medical field. And recently, the media reported that it was a black surgeon who operated on Kayne Wests’ Mom. I made the decision NOT to post anything about this on the site because I choose not to be a part of disparaging this Black man. The white media will, before it’s all over with, do a through enough job without my help.
So I say if you can sleep at night with whatever you do, more power to you. There are no right or wrongs in all this, it’s just what you’re willing to live with.
@ Ms Mac I agree with you. And let me find out some of these black blog owners are starting to smell themselves. Please believe if any of these blogs didn’t exist, we would still get the same information they copy and paste anyway! As you can see they all post about the same shit, just different formats, styles and commenters! Angela, please take it down a notch boo.
Gabby………………..
If no one said anything about you, you wouldn’t be working.
It might hurt, but suck it up.
More hate means bigger pay checks.
Angel…………….
Keep doing what you’re doing. If it weren’t for you,
I’d have nothing to do at work.
Peace
# 315 We can read Boo! Everybody don’t want to read paragraphs. One or two sentences is enough for me, thanks!
Ms Mac
I agree totally, However there is a lot of blame to go around. Like I said before on some level we all are wrong.
Its human nature to spill a little tea, and hold the cup while its being poured. I think the blogesphere just takes every human flaw and ailing and magnitizes it. I think however its silly to admonish Angel-when to me she is the most responsible with her reporting. There are a long list of others that need to be checked before she should including a certain someone with reckless comments that supports a certain rapper in machine gun collection and selling (as his right to bear arms).
I do think that some of this blog gossip stuff has gotten way out of hand. A few people have gotten a wiff of what Angel has done and totally exploited it again at the expense of quitting respectable professions like law ie MTO and YBF.
In my opinion there are 1million ways to skin a cat and make money. Why everyone is trying to saturate ONE avenue of black gossip is really mind boggling to me. To me the real next level is to monitize and EVOLVE the brand. NO BODY is trying to take this venue to the next level aside from ad dollars. Angel however has moved from all gossip to real solid entertainment and black pop culture reporting thats smart and interesting. And she’s still young. This site wasn’t what it was 2 years ago. Just like most of us who are in our 30s aren’t who we were even 10 years ago.
Lastly, major ad sponsors are also to blame i have gone on many black sites with some exlcusive sponsorship from folks like cover girl etc. What is the message that they are sending to other black women. That’s something to think about Gabby when you take a six figure endorsement of a cosmetic company that jumps on the very venue that you dispise.
Pingback: Page Skimming - Articles of Interest at Racialicious - the intersection of race and pop culture